A report claims that 95% of students in a school passed a math exam. A critical thinker would first ask:
Correct answer: A. How many students were tested?
- A. How many students were tested?
- B. Is the school popular?
- C. Do students like math?
- D. Are the teachers kind?
Explanation
The correct option is A: 'How many students were tested?' This question is crucial because it provides context to the statistic. A high pass rate might seem impressive, but without knowing the sample size, the significance of the statistic cannot be fully understood. For example, if only a small number of students were tested, the result may not be representative of the entire school. Option B, 'Is the school popular?', Option C, 'Do students like math?', and Option D, 'Are the teachers kind?' are not directly related to evaluating the validity of the report's claim. These questions do not provide information that would help assess the credibility or significance of the pass rate statistic.
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About Critical Thinking
Critical thinking examines how conclusions follow from evidence, including claims, assumptions, arguments, inferences and relevant facts. Questions ask you to identify hidden assumptions, distinguish strong from weak evidence, assess cause and effect, recognise common reasoning errors, and decide which statement strengthens or weakens an argument.
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